Your Best Travel Destination According to the Zodiac

Everyone has a travel style, and your personality can totally mesh with that and create a fantastic and perfect vacation destination for you. Even if you don't believe in horoscopes and astrology, you have to admit that sometimes they're correct. Orbitz has rounded up travel styles and your perfect trip based on your astrological sign.

I'm a Sagittarius, and I adore a good road trip. I also like a big, once-in-a-lifetime trip. I'm lucky to have gone on several trips that some people will only dream of or be able to go on once. This year will see me on one of those trips to Scotland and England. 

My hubs is a Gemini and likes anywhere he can chill out, but also loves new places that are beautiful and Ecuador was actually one of our best trips, while also being one of our most aggravating. We learned a lot about travel and ourselves, and we'll definitely go back at some point. It's gorgeous, outdoorsy, historical, and an amazing place for travelers on a budget (and even those not on one). 

Do you think your ideal vacation destination based on your astrological sign is accurate for you? 

6 Ways To Avoid Losing Touch With Loved Ones On Your Travels

If you’re traveling for an extended period of time, it’s all too easy to get wrapped up in your new adventure and forget about friends and family. However, staying in touch with your loved ones while you travel is pretty easy - plus things can change quickly back home, and your loved ones will likely want to hear all about your adventures and live vicariously through you. Below, you’ll find 6 ways to avoid losing touch with loved ones on your travels:

Credit - PIXABAY

1. Send Postcards

It’s always fun to receive a postcard in the post, so why not send a postcard back home whenever you visit somewhere new? They probably aren't the best way to keep everybody super informed, but they are fun to send and receive.

2. Get A Phone Especially For Travel

If you’re traveling for an extended period, it’s probably a good idea to get a phone especially for travel. Get a sim card that you can easily top up as you go and use that to stay in touch with the people you love. You probably won’t be spending too much time using your current contract while you travel, so it makes no sense for you to pay a bigger chunk of money each month than you need. Only pay for what you really need when you get a phone especially for travel. If you get a cheaper phone, you won’t be so tempted to spend ages living your life through a screen, either! 

3. Set Up A Special Email Address

Having a special email address means you’ll have somewhere all of your travel correspondence is documented. You’ll have emails to and from your friends and family, and even after you get home you can look back on them and smile as you reminisce about your trip. Take a look at how to set up an iCloud email login and you’ll have an easy time of doing this. 

4. Use Skype

Skype will help you if you’re feeling homesick, as you get to see the faces of your loved ones and interact that way. It can be better than a phone call, especially since you can Skype multiple people at once and have a group catch up! 

5. Start A Blog

How about starting a blog? It may take time, but a travel blog can become profitable. You may be offered free trips and accommodation in exchange for a post, although you’ll need to be consistent. At the very least, you’ll have an online diary of your adventures that you can read through again and again. You might even help others gather the strength to travel too! 

6. Create A Whatsapp Group 

A whatsapp group is a quick and easy way to stay in touch providing you have an internet connection. Add all of your family to one group and your friends to another, and before you know it, it’ll feel like you never left! This is a great way to stay in the loop while you’re away. 

I'd also like to suggest Voxer as an app that you can use for group and individual convos. It's free an easy, plus it has a time stamp for when you actually sent the message, not when it went through, and you can see where a message was sent by clicking on it and looking at the map. I use this when I'm traveling solo in the states as well, just so everyone knows where I am.

How do you stay in touch with your family and friends when you travel?

Packing Light for Big Impact

I am a believer in packing light. I have packed all sorts of ways and I've decided that packing less leaves me less stressed, I have less to carry and fewer things to deal with. I almost never come home with items that were never worn, because I pack carefully and with intention, so everything goes with everything else and I can mix and match each piece I bring along.

If you are worried that not packing outfits per day and matching shoes for each one is going to be your downfall, think of how much happier you'll be when you aren't lugging that 58 lb bag that you also have to check and waste $25+ each way on. I like making my life easier and only having a handful of items in my bag definitely makes it simple to find something to wear each morning and gets me out of the door faster. I make a list before I start packing of what I will need and then choose a few of my favorite pieces and go from there.

We live in Oregon, so we tend to own quite a bit of Columbia clothing. It's long-lasting, feels great and is perfect for packing, because it's lightweight and moisture-wicking. I have several key pieces that work for most climates. 

Columbia can be spendy, but I recommend buying on sale. You may also want to check out REI, Backcountry, ExOfficio, Lucy (for women) or Anatomie (also for women). Items made with soy or bamboo are great for warmer climates, because they are odor resistant. You might also like linen for the breathability. There are lots of great travel brands out there and many don't even look like they are, so you don't stick out as a tourist, but are still comfortable in the heat (or the cold, depending on when you travel).

I also am a layer-er. I always travel with a scarf/wrap a lightweight jacket and a cardigan or two. This way I'm covered if it gets cooler at our destination and for the chills on the plane. It may seem silly, but on the plane I wear a pair of stretchy jeans, comfortable slip-on shoes, a t-shirt, a cardigan and a scarf. If it gets warm, I can shed some layers, but if it's cold, I'm set. I have this awesome HappyLuxe wrap that I can also use as a blanket. In fact, I can wear it as a scarf while also covering my lap if my legs are cold.

Layering also gives you the ability to wear part of your travel outfit at your destination, so I always dress with that in mind. I work with three bottoms and four-five tops total. When they all go together, you have 12-15 different outfits. You can see how I've made different looks with each of these tops and bottom combinations.

I usually toss in an easy dress  that can work for day and night, then go with just two pair of shoes. Both should be great for walking and at least one of them should work for your dress. These are the shoes I took on our trip to New Orleans: a pair of ballet flats and a pair of walking sandals. Both pair went with everything I packed, so I mixed it up each day depending on how I was feeling. 

I try not to pack shoes that might be too constrictive, because then if my feet swell, I'm SOL and uncomfortable. Of course, I bring a pair of compression socks to wear while I'm hanging out in my room, but that doesn't do me any good if it's hot and my shoes don't work with socks.

Throw some accessories in your bag to give you some other options. This sunhat works for when I'm somewhere with a lot of sun and I'd like to keep my face from turning into a lobster (even with sunscreen this can happen pretty easily). A good piece of jewelry can literally turn a day dress into a nighttime one, especially if it's a cute little black dress, which is what I take with me everywhere. It's a wrap dress my Lucy Activewear, so it's breathable and sporty feeling, but can be dressed up a bit for a nice dinner. Easy! 

Now all your clothes fit in a carry-on. You know where all your things are. You don't have to wait at the carousel for your luggage. You don't have to pay baggage fees. You don't have to break your back trying to get your bag up stairs. Now, you just need to get working on making your toiletries lighter.

What are your biggest issues with packing light?

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